It's been argued that managers "win the game" by understanding the rules, applying them, and purposely breaking them at times (Nielsen 2009) while leaders win by understanding that rules change, by anticipating that things move in different directions,and by inspiring their teams to follow – even without evidence (Bolden & Gosling 2006). Recent work in this area has given evidence of the crucial role of language in this game (Clifton, 2012). Such insights call for a new strand of research that is no longer quantitative, rooted in social psychology and focused on what leaders are, but qualitative, oriented towards discourse and interested in what leaders do.

In order to get deeper insights into the competing, multi-voiced, controversial and complex identities and relationships enacted in leadership discourse practices, we welcome cross-cultural and gender-related approaches. The workshop discussion moves beyond questions of who is a leader and what leaders do, to how leadership is practiced in various communities of practice and how leadership makes change possible.

We are interested in contributing to an enhanced understanding of how leadership is discursively constructed, de-constructed and re-constructed in a variety of formal and informal organizational activities from mentoring and motivating to gatekeeping and decision-making. Data can be drawn from oral, written and digital interaction, including meetings, interview, written policy documents, writing processes, all kinds of reports, websites, e-mails and social network sites.

The official deadline for submission of abstracts for individual lectures is November 1, 2012. However, in the case of panels the abstracts should be sent first to the panel organizers, for evaluation and endorsement - ca 1 week before the official deadline.